With All My Heart
by SueB3
Summary: Ranger has failed to return from his last mission. Stephanie refuses to believe he won't come back. Could she be right?
1. Prologue & Chapter 1

Not my characters, they belong to Janet Evanovich, but as long as Ranger can come out and play I can live with that.

Warning for language. Not friendly to Joe.

**Prologue**

**_The mission was shit from the start. Poor timing, bad intelligence and betrayal all leading to this small cell. The people who have me want information I am unwilling to share. Their methods to obtain it are unsophisticated, but time-tested for effectiveness. I know they work because I have used them myself on more than one occasion. They include darkness, cold, vulnerability, exhaustion, anticipation ...... pain. I have lost track of the number of days I have been chained in the dark -- cold, naked and exhausted. I hear footsteps approaching -- voices. I suspect the anticipation stage is coming to a close. I am experienced and have been highly trained to handle this type of situation. _**

**_This was to be my final mission. It looks like that will be the case, although not the way I had planned. I did make provisions in the event of an unfavorable outcome._**

**Chapter 1**

Mid March

I was outside Steph's door getting together the courage to knock. I had to deliver Ranger's letter -- something I never wanted to do. I haven't been a religious man for a long time, but to delay a little longer, I bowed my head and said a silent prayer. I asked for strength -- for me, for Steph -- I asked for mercy on the soul I knew Ranger possessed even though he thought it had long since departed for hell.

It was time, but before I could knock, the door flew open. She must have just wakened from a nap -- sleepy eyes, long curly hair in disarray, a pillow crease across her cheek, a brilliant smile.

"Ranger! I knew...."

She hadn't checked the peephole. When she saw me she stopped. "Tank?"

I didn't know what to say. I'm not good like Ranger. I can't always keep things off my face. I couldn't hide how sad I was. One look at my eyes and she wasn't sleepy any more. Her gaze dropped to the envelope in my hand and she began to back away her eyes widening in alarm.

"Noooo......no, no. No, no, no! Don't you come in here with that skinny little envelope and try to tell me that he's dead. He's not dead! I would know if he was dead! I thought he was here! It's why I opened the door."

I walked into the apartment and shut the door, but she was having none of it.

"Show me his body," she railed. "Show me a death certificate! His personal effects, something!" The Queen of Denial in full reign.

I kept my voice soft. "You know I can't do that."

Reality began to crash her defenses and I was there to hold her in my arms as she shook with the first shuddering sobs.

"Oh, Tank, what will I do?" she asked, her voice muffled against my chest.

She felt small and fragile next to me. I picked her up, sat down on the sofa and settled her in my lap. "Just cry for now," I said, gently cradling her. She did, soaking the front of my shirt with her tears before the sobs tapered off.

When she had quieted and her breathing evened out, I asked, "Can I tell you what I do know?" She nodded and slid off my lap sitting next to me so she could see my face.

"Do you know how good he is?" I shook my head correcting, "Was?"

"Probably pretty good," she said softly.

I snorted, "Pretty good doesn't begin to cover it. The takedowns you've seen, they were nothin'. He was fucking exceptional. You don't live through as many missions as he did otherwise. It didn't come packaged any better than Ranger -- natural instincts, intelligence, physical prowess, ruthlessness." She frowned a little at the last one. "Steph, it's why they called him so often. It's why he got the big bucks. The Army taught him fundamentals, but you can't teach his kind of natural born ability.

"This mission was different. Highest priority, ranked with some security clearance I never even heard of before. They called and wanted him to leave within the hour. He said he needed two. He spent the second hour writing that." I nodded toward the envelope; I had laid it on the table in front of us. "He could only tell me one thing -- it wasn't open ended. In and out -- three weeks."

I paused and her brow furrowed as she did the math. "But, that would mean..."

"Should have been back by the 4th of July."

She laid her hand on my arm, "Oh, Tank, I'm so sorry. This has been terrible for you hasn't it. You've been waiting all this time knowing he.....knowing," she couldn't say it, she finally settled for, "knowing he was late."

It was like her. She was comforting me. She was right, it had been hard. Keeping up appearances, running RangeMan, losing my best friend. But, he was my best friend and he had saved my hide more than once; I was willing to do this his way.

"He asked me to wait. He wanted to be sure he wasn't coming back before I gave you this and he wanted to give himself as much time as possible."

I picked up the envelope. It had "Stephanie" written on the front in Ranger's familiar hand. I put it in her hands. She immediately put it down beside her.

"Okay, thanks. I'll just read it later. Next week maybe, or next month. You can go now. It's getting late. I should probably get to bed."

"Steph." I reached across her, picked the envelope up, took out my knife and slit it open. I put it in her hands, again. From the look of revulsion on her face I might have handed her a dismembered body part. I coaxed a little. "Whatever he said, it was important to him that you know it."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath crumpling the envelope in her hand. I thought I had her, but then she said, "All right, maybe tomorrow." Now opened envelope back on the table.

I picked it up, third time's a charm. "He wanted me to stay with you while you read it. I can camp out all week."

"Tank, I can't read that letter!" She was yelling.

I was at a loss. "Why, Steph? Why can't you read the letter?"

"Because if I do," she looked at me, tears running down her face, "if I do, he might really be dead."

Hard to argue with that. I was going to try, but she was on a roll.

"Why the stupid letter? What was different about this mission? He didn't say goodbye -- he never said goodbye! He always sent you with a message, 'Ranger's going to be out of town for a while.' Oh yeah, define 'a while.' Two days? Four months? Sometime next year?" All of a sudden she whispered, "Three weeks." She was going to cry. I put my arm around her and held her til she stopped.

Finally, she sniffled, "I just don't get it."

I tried one more time. "Maybe, if you read the letter you will."

The Bombshell excelled at gathering information, I could see this idea put a new spin on things.

"Do you think so?" she asked.

Mentally I took a deep breath, "I do." Ranger would be proud.

Now on a quest, she reached out and picked up the envelope on her own. Sitting back she used me for a pillow and, although still reluctant, she slid the stationery out. I patted her shoulder. "I'm here," I murmured, "take all the time you need."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_I can do this. I can do this. I can read his letter and he won't be dead. He can't be dead. He can't be dead. _

_**Stephanie........Babe. I know you argued with Tank because you didn't want to read this letter. **_

_Damn, how did he know that?_

_**I know, Babe, because you never disappoint. **_

_Oh, that. _

_**My reasons for writing are selfish because if it comes down to it, the only way I can die in peace -- not without regret -- but in peace is to tell you that I love you with all my heart and have for a very long time. **_

_Major hit. Right up front. Oh God! I can't do this. He loves me. Loved me. No!! Loves me. _

_**I'm not sick enough to enjoy it, but I am very good at what I do. In the army, I could chalk up my actions to following orders. After the army, when I became a mercenary, the decisions on how to use my skills were my own responsibility. It was never pretty. I did it for the money. A lot of money. And I liked being good at it -- I wasn't strong enough to stop. **_

_Ranger, there's so much more to you than that. _

_**I scare the crap out of most people including and especially my own employees. I cultivate it. It serves my purposes. **_

_No shit. _

_**The men who know me best, Lester, Cal, Bobby, Hal, fear me the most because they have watched me work and know what I am capable of doing. When it's vital to the success of my assignment, I can kill or torture without regard for age or gender. They have seen me. Ask them. **_

_**Then you came along. No matter what I did I couldn't scare you, although you sure as hell scared me. You crawled inside me and made me hot and cold and nuts and tender. I can fix this I told myself. I'll fuck her and be done with it. One night. Mission accomplished. Only it wasn't that easy. Being with you was like giving salt water to a thirsty man. Mission FUBAR. Operative neutralized. **_

_Ranger, why are you telling me this?_

_**I'm telling you this because I need you to understand why I held you at arm's length even while I stole as many kisses as I could. "My life doesn't lend itself to relationships" -- that was so much crap. "You're safer if you're not with me" -- pointless after Scrog. "My love doesn't come with a ring" -- maybe not, but it is unending. Violence has governed my life. I kept my distance because I hated the thought that your light might be dimmed by my darkness. I did the only thing I could think of to keep you from being sucked into my black hole. I sent you back to the cop. **_

_**I have hated Morelli. Whenever you were together and in his bed it made me physically ill. I always wanted to rip him apart and, even though he thinks he can take me, believe me he wouldn't have a prayer. At the same time I'm grateful to him. In a way we've been a team. I used my skills and assets as well as my willingness to work beyond the law to keep you safe from the crazies and he kept you safe from me. I just never realized how much that partnership was going to cost me. **_

_Maybe I do, Ranger, maybe it cost both of us. _

_**You want to know what was different about this mission. **_

_Monumental understatement. You bet I do. _

_**This was the last one. **_

_What? _

Steph had been reading silently but now she gasped and cried out. "Tank, did you know this was his last mission?"

I didn't, not for sure. "No. Suspected though. He took the call in his office. Door was shut, but we all could tell it got pretty heated."

She fumed to herself, "Why couldn't he come home from his last fucking mission?"

I didn't have an answer for that. She went back to reading.

_**My contract is up. I declined to renew. They weren't happy. In my line of work, death is always a possibility. Like I said, I'm talented, but I've also been lucky more times than I like to admit. The last year or so I've felt the odds on living were shorter each time I went out. I told myself I was getting superstitious or maybe just old, but the truth is -- now I cared about coming back. **_

_Because of me? _

_**You were here. **_

_Because of me. _

_**Even though you weren't mine and never would be, I could be near you. Watch over you. I could marvel when you called me Batman and hope you never discovered how far that was from the truth. **_

_You'll always be Batman. _

_**My plan if I got back was even more selfish than this letter. You wouldn't have read this and learned who I am. I was going to do everything in my power to make you mine forever. I swear, even coming back and finding you married to the cop wouldn't have stopped me. You see I'm not changed, just disguised. The powers that be apparently aren't happy with my choices, they wouldn't let it happen. **_

_**There are legal ramifications connected with my death, but I don't care much about them now. Tank and my lawyer will explain all that to you. Tank is a good man. He, of all the guys, is not afraid of me. He says it's because he could squash me like a bug. He tells me what he thinks, never what he thinks I want to hear. That's why I've always trusted him to have my back and that's why you can trust him. **_

_**Find someone to fly with you. I'm sorry it won't be me. Just know that you own my heart and you are the only soul I have. **_

_**My love, my Babe,**_

_**Ranger**_

She had finished. Her body jerked against me as she tried to control another round of sobs. After a few minutes she said, "Ranger says you're not afraid of him."

"Look at me, Steph, that's because I could squash him like a bug."

She actually laughed. I took it as a good sign, but then, in a voice so soft that I could hardly hear her she said, "Ranger says he loves me."

"Wherever he is, Steph, I know Ranger loves you. Everybody knew that Ranger loved you."

"Everybody knew?"

"Seemed like you and he were the only ones who didn't."

She cried herself to sleep in my arms.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Early April

It was uncharacteristically noisy in the Control Room when I came through the door.

"What the hell is going on. It sounds like the Ladies' Aid Society in here. Isn't anybody workin' this shift?"

There were at least three extra bodies in the room and I knew exactly what was going on. They'd been watching the garage monitor waiting for Steph and me to come back and they'd been laying odds. Some things never change.

Santos wasn't shy, "So? Did she or didn't she?"

I closed my eyes, sighed and shook my head.

"Ha! I knew it," he said holding out his hand and collecting twenties from around the room. He smiled as he pocketed their cash, but turned serious as he said, "I'll be glad to take your money, boys, she's never going to sign."

I thought he was right. We'd just made our third trip to the lawyer's office in two weeks. Today she'd had the pen in her hand, but when the time came, Steph had declined to sign the paperwork that would transfer Ranger's majority ownership of RangeMan to her name. No tears, no drama, just a flat, unqualified refusal to sign.

An un-manned monitor caught my eye. "Junior, dammit, show's over get back to your post, Shank Jewelers has had three smash and grabs in the last month." I directed my next words to the whole room. "Last thing we need right now is to appear lax or incompetent. We have to pay attention." There was tacit agreement as everyone moved back into place.

So far we hadn't made any public announcement about Ranger but once I'd delivered his letter to Steph, we held a meeting for the employees to explain the situation. The men respected my authority. I'd been in charge when Ranger was "in the wind" for a number of years, but this definitely felt different.

Lester and Bobby followed me into the hall.

"Do you know where she went?" I asked them.

Bobby inclined his head. "Upstairs," he said.

Upstairs, seventh floor, Ranger's apartment. I nodded and started toward the elevator. Lester stopped me.

"Tank?" he paused. "Do you think there's any chance he's still alive?"

I knew there was a lot of speculation. Hell, I wondered myself. He'd come back more than once when we didn't think he would, but this time he'd been so sure about the timing.

"Les, you know the kind of jobs they sent him on. Top Secret, sensitive, dangerous -- the kind where if you fuck up they pretend you don't exist -- shit, even if you don't fuck up they pretend you don't exist. He was invisible most of the time."

"Yeah, I know," he replied studying the floor. "It's just that Steph and the Boss do have this weird connection. If she feels so strongly he's alive," he met my eyes, "well -- maybe he is."

"Look, I want him to come back too, but let's not forget Steph also has a proven history of denial."

"Maybe couldn't hurt to make a couple phone calls," Bobby offered.

They were both dead serious. "I'll see what I can do."

***

Ranger's apartment looked exactly like it had when he'd left in June. Ella kept it spotless and put fresh flowers on the sideboard every day. His car keys sat in the tray beside the flowers. Both Steph and I had access, but neither of us could bear to live here. Soon we would have to make a decision on how to better use the space, but we weren't ready to consider that yet.

I knew where she would be. Funny how the scent of Bulgari lingered here even after ten months. The dressing room was big with a small bench along one side. I leaned against the door frame and from my vantage point, I could see Steph in profile. In her hands, she clutched one of Ranger's long-sleeved black shirts, the kind he wore for work.

She didn't turn, but she'd heard me come in. "Who won?" she asked.

I had to chuckle. Steph knew the guys bet on practically everything she did. "Lester -- again. He and Bobby are firmly in your camp."

Startled, she asked, "In my camp? They think Ranger is alive?"

"Let's say they have a healthy respect for your instincts."

"But you don't."

Her voice had gone flat, I could hear the hurt in it. I went over to her and crouched down so I could look into her eyes. She'd kept her composure every time she'd come to Haywood. I hadn't seen her cry once in the building, but I knew she cried at home. She'd lost weight, her skin was translucent, her cheekbones more defined and her eyes -- bright and blue -- too big for her face. Now those eyes sparkled with unshed tears.

I took her hands in mine. "Steph, I want him to come back as much as you do, but I don't think he is going to. I don't know what he told you in his letter, but I know when he gave it to me he was very sure he'd be dead if it came time to deliver it. Most of the time, Ranger had a hard time living with himself. I don't think he would reveal that to you if there was any chance he would return."

She blinked and two big tears ran down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Tank," she said. "I'm not ready to sign those papers."

"That's okay," I replied softly. "We can still operate. RangeMan has always been set up to run without Ranger since he was away so much. We'll just wait until you are ready."

She smiled and said, "I'll tell you what I am ready for."

"What's that?" I asked.

"I'm ready to go back to work."

"You're on, Bombshell."

I escorted her to her car in the garage. I wanted someone to stay with her at her apartment, but she said she needed to be alone there. I could understand that, but I'd been keeping a man on call in her parking lot in case of emergencies. It didn't matter if Ranger was in heaven, hell or Timbuktu, if I let anything happen to Steph, I knew I was a dead man.

***

It was quiet in the Control Room when I got back upstairs. Junior and Cal nodded as I went into Ranger's office and locked the door. I opened the safe, took out what I knew to be a secure phone and hit one on the speed dial for the only number programed into it. The call was answered on the second ring.

"Hello."

"Sir.......You know why I'm calling?"

Silence. "Probably."

More silence. And still more. I could wait.

Finally, "There's nothing I can tell you."

Not, there's nothing to tell you -- there's nothing I can tell you. With these guys you have to learn to read between the lines.

"If there is something you can tell me, you will call?"

"Perhaps."

He disconnected and I was left to wonder.

*******

_**He is not going to tell us anything. **_

_**The man in question had been beaten senseless, but not into submission.**_

_**Then he is going to die. **_

_**Dying no longer seems to matter to him. **_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_**Kill him. **_

_*******_

"You should have seen her," Lester said, "sashaying in there in that flirty little skirt, Wonderbra boobs and three inch heels pouting at the bartender and whining about her Bugatti's engine trouble." He shifted his voice into a high-pitched imitation of Steph's. "It had the nerve to die just around the corner."

Bobby was laughing as he chipped in, "Skinny Becker never had a chance. His two favorite things -- a beautiful woman and an exotic car right there for the taking until Cal and Junior crashed his party."

Steph was blushing; she rolled her eyes, a very good sign. "Oh, come on. It was no big deal."

She was right, it was no big deal, an ordinary job, but the guys were glad to have her back and we were having a classic RangeMan celebration -- beer and pizza at Shorty's -- although after one slice of pepperoni, Steph was inexplicably eating salad. Not one of Shorty's finer offerings.

"So, Cal," Lester continued, "you want to tell us how Skinny broke his hand?"

Junior put in his two cents, "Son of a bitch pinched the Bombshell."

"Omigod," Steph squealed, "you broke his hand because he pinched my ass?"

Cal mumbled into his beer, "Was only a coupla fingers. Fucker got off easy, Ranger would've ripped his arm off."

She grew solemn at the mention of Ranger's name. "He's always been sort of overprotective, hasn't he?"

"You could say that," I said. I knew we were all thinking about Abruzzi. Ranger had made dead sure that scumbag would never hurt her again.

She leaned forward resting her elbows on the table and looking at each one of us in turn. "Tell me about him. Please. You all worked with him "in the wind." What's he like out there?"

"He's the best," Cal stated. "None to match him."

Lester contributed, "If I'm in a tight spot, I can't think of anyone I'd rather have beside me than Ranger. He's calm and organized and smart."

I added, "Every one of us owes our life to him,"

Bobby looked thoughtful. He said, "It's not just that, he's what a leader ought to be; he takes care of his men. The work we do -- it has hard stuff in it. If the job required ugly, Ranger did it himself, he didn't farm it out. I know there were times he lost sleep over things he had to do, but he made sure we didn't."

We all murmured our agreement.

"Look at what he's done with RangeMan," I said. "We're not exactly 9 to 5 er's -- you know what I mean. Imagine Cal there pushin' papers all day. He wouldn't even fit in the chair, besides scarin' the customers. You seen our resumes? Not many places lookin' for someone can slit a throat in ten seconds or dismantle an AK-47. At RangeMan our skills are legitimate. We still can do what we're good at and are a lot less likely to land in prison.

"You're not afraid he's going to send you to Myanmar or Somalia for screwing up?"

I asked the guys, "You know of anyone actually bein' sent to one of those places cause he fucked up?"

A general consensus, "Nope."

Lester raised his glass, quietly he said, "To Ranger."

"To Ranger," we all chorused.

I glanced at Steph. She was losing it. Her lip quivered and she was blinking hard but she covered well. "Got to go to the ladies', guys. Let me out."

She was three quarters of the way across the room before I saw the tall familiar figure moving to cut her off. Morelli. Damn. Why hadn't I noticed him before. Their final parting hadn't been friendly and she sure as hell didn't need his crap now.

I didn't get there quite in time. He was nasty drunk and I could hear him from halfway across the room.

"Well, Cupcake, look at you."

She hadn't seen him coming, "Joe!" Her voice rang with alarm.

"Word on the street is Manoso's dead and damn if his junk yard dogs aren't already sniffin' up your butt."

I heard Steph gasp at his crudeness as I stepped between them.

"You're way out of line, Morelli, time to take off."

He couldn't let it go, "Guess you're glad Manoso's gone. Makes you the alpha dog, doesn't it? Put you first in line with her too?"

I wanted to drop him, but Steph's hand on my back stopped me. "Tank! Don't," she said, "he's drunk."

She was right. Sober he'd be overwhelmed by my size -- drunk it was no contest. He started to lean into me anyway. Behind me chairs scraped back and the conversation in the room hushed. I knew my guys were on their feet and at least two were on their way to watch my back. Morelli knew it too and even in his drunken haze he realized this confrontation wasn't going to be good for anybody. He stepped away, defeated. Game over.

"An apology would be nice," I suggested.

He muttered, "Sorry, Cupcake," and stumbled toward the door.

Steph hugged me from behind. She was trembling. "Thank you, Tank."

I didn't know if she was thanking me for intervening or for not tearing Morelli limb from limb. I did know that I had made a promise to Ranger to protect her at all costs. It was a promise I planned to keep until my dying breath. Tonight I didn't think I'd done a very good job.

*******

_**He may still be useful to us. **_

_**How? He has told us nothing. **_

_**No one knows that except us. I doubt he knows for sure. Besides, who would believe him if we simply............let him go. **_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

May

"Now what?" My phone was ringing. It was 2:30 in the morning. Experience told me nothing good happens at 2:30 in the morning and it had already been a hell of a week. Full moon? Spring fever? Who knew? We'd had cranky clients, computer glitches and tonight an elusive skip. Steph and I were both so tired that we grabbed the two unoccupied studios on the 4th floor instead of going home. Phone still ringing. Shit.

I didn't recognize the number but I answered anyway, "Yo."

"Seventh floor."

There was no mistaking the voice. Ranger. Alive!

My heart pounded. How? When? He disconnected. I shook my head to make sure I was awake. Guess so. Not a dream. He was alive. Apparently upstairs.

I dialed the Control Room. Hal answered. "Been any security breaches in the building tonight?" I asked.

"No, I would have called you. Why?"

I fabricated a little. "Just curious. Couldn't sleep -- got to thinkin' about all the equipment screw ups this week. Wondered it they extended to our internal system. No problem. Thanks. Goin' up to seven for a while. Need to check a couple things on Ranger's computer. Not sleepin' anyway. I'm on my cell if you need me."

"Okay."

It was stupid to waste time trying to figure out how Ranger had gotten in undetected. Hell, he had designed the building. Probably the escape hatches had escape hatches. Steph was right next door. All was quiet there and I figured I'd leave it that way until I found out what was going on. The important thing was he was alive. Back from the dead. I headed for seven.

The door was locked. I let myself in. The foyer -- dark. I left it that way. One small lamp cast an eerie glow in the living room. He stood at the window, his back to me. He looked thin. His hair was long and loose. He knew I was there.

"Tank."

"Ranger."

I wanted to go to him, shake his hand. Clap him on the back. Have a beer. Find out how he had survived. Christ, I wanted to hug him. But, he stood so still, so rigid. Something stopped me. Then he turned around.

Ranger is a master of the blank face, but this went way beyond that. His eyes, normally intelligent, assessing, aware, were black, empty. He looked like a man who'd been to hell -- and hadn't made it back. He needed help.

"You're lookin' a little rough, Rangeman," I said softly. "Let me call the doctor."

"No."

"Bobby, then. Have him check you out."

"Doesn't matter. I'm not staying."

"Not staying? Why not?"

"I have to debrief. I may be.........detained."

"I don't understand."

He turned away from me again and bowed his head. I saw him wince when he tried to take a deep breath but, when he spoke the pain in his voice was more than physical. "They just let me go, Tank. I don't know why. I'm not even sure how I got back to the States." He paused. Finally he got to what was really on his mind, "I don't know what I told them."

I tried to reassure him. "I know you, Rangeman, I doubt you told them anything. They're messing with your head."

His voice hardened and with it his resolve. "Either way, I won't be coming back. I'm dead, remember. Let's leave it that way."

I didn't like the way this conversation was going.

***

_She wakened in the dark but it wasn't with the empty choking feeling in her chest that had been building over the past few weeks. Instead she felt a warm tingle that started at the base of her spine and moved slowly upwards to circle her shoulders like a soft embrace. For a moment she lay there basking in the sensation because she knew exactly what it meant. He was alive! Absolutely. Positively. Definitely. No question about it. For sure. Alive! Like there'd been any doubt. Please._

_***_

"Then why are you here now?" I knew why; he knew why. I waited. He was going to have to say it.

"I have to know...........................if she's all right."

"All right? No, I wouldn't say she's all right. She's about the same as you would be if I came to you and told you she was dead." I didn't mean to be harsh, but I saw my words hit him like a physical blow. Steph had been suffering too, I couldn't let him walk away.

"Tank, I can't stay with her."

"Why not." I hated to push him, but I did.

"You gave her my letter."

"You know I did. You were pretty damn specific about the timeline."

His strength was fading. With one hand he steadied himself against the wall; he ran the other though his hair holding his head. That he was still on his feet seemed like a miracle. The second one tonight.

"I'm a coward," he said quietly, "I don't want her to know me as I really am."

My phone rang. I was going to let it go, but it was Hal in the Control Room.

"Yo."

"Tank, thought I should let you know the Bombshell was just in here looking for you. I told her you were up on seven. Think she's on her way up. Didn't want you to be surprised and shoot her or anything."

"Thanks, Hal, I'll try not to shoot her."

Ranger had heard my end of the conversation. It was enough to convince him that he needed to leave, presumably by the same passageway that had brought him here where ever that was. If I didn't do something, two people who were special to me were going to be miserable for the rest of their lives. In Ranger's case, I was afraid the rest of his life wouldn't be that long. He would go "in the wind" and make sure he didn't come back this time. I couldn't let that happen.

"It's too late, Rangeman. She's on her way up. And besides," I looked him straight in the eye -- and I lied, "she wouldn't open your precious fucking letter. See she's never believed you were dead. I said I gave it to her. I never said she read it."

We both heard the door open. "Tank? Tank, where are you?" She was running down hall. She saw me first. "Tank, Ranger's alive, I know for sure he..................

Then she saw him.

The stiff posture that had stopped me cold had no effect on her. She flew across the room and into his arms nearly knocking him down in the process. He held her close, pressing her cheek against his chest. Dropping a gentle kiss on the top of her head, he whispered, "Babe." He looked up at me. I saw what I'd been going for -- the smallest flickering spark of life in his eyes. I saw too that he'd used up every ounce of his reserves. He was going down. This time I was there. I carried him into the bedroom. Ranger was back, but I had a feeling he was still a long way from home.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Bobby?"

"Yeah, Bombshell."

"Is he really going to be okay?" She sounded scared.

"You heard the doc."

She turned those big blue eyes of hers on me. It was the first time she had taken them off the Boss since Tank called me up here in the early morning hours. She'd been sitting here, holding his hand and watching him breathe. The doc had to elbow her out of the way to do his examination, but even then her eyes tracked the steady rise and fall of Ranger's chest.

She didn't look at me long, "I know, but I want you to tell me."

I squeezed her shoulder, "He's really going to be okay. I'm not going to lie to you. They had him for a long time and they hurt him. It'll take time for him to heal. But," I waited until she looked at me again, "he's really going to be okay."

Two big tears rolled down her cheeks. "Thank you, Bobby. I don't want to lose him now."

"You're not going to lose him. Tell you what. Been a long night. You crawl in there next to him and take a nap."

"What about his ribs? I'll hurt him."

"Believe me, Bombshell, he wakes up next to you. Won't be his ribs that are given' him a problem." She rolled her eyes and blushed. I tucked her in.

Ella had left sandwiches in Ranger's kitchen. Tank was there sampling them when I went looking for a snack. He looked like he could use a nap too.

"Thanks for fielding the doc," he said, "thought you could handle that better than me."

"No problem."

"He say anything you hadn't already figured out?"

"Not really. Multiple contusions, broken ribs. Doc taped him up. Wrists and ankles are raw. Looks like he was chained. Some infection there. Antibiotic for that. He's runnin' a low temp." I stopped to consider. "They did a number on him, Tank, but it was all designed to wear him down not kill him. Doc says fluids, nourishment, rest. He should be all right. You ask me, I think his best medicine is in there sleepin' beside him.

Tank nodded his agreement, chewed for a minute, looked at me and said, "Bobby, turns out -- she was right."

***

_I'm not dead. I know because the warm sweet body nestled up against my back is a slice of heaven that won't be any part of where I'll spend eternity. I feel her stretch. She makes a little noise and her soft breath tickles my neck. I move to take her in my arms but pain knifes through my chest. For a minute I think I am back in that cell where my dreams of her were often interrupted by pain. She has felt my tension and awakened. She reaches out to me and her hand rests gently over my heart. It's beating, Babe. It beats for you. _

"You okay, Batman?"

_I'm still Batman. _"Okay," I manage. "Stay with me."

"As long as you want me," she answers.

_I want to say "stay forever" but my tongue is thick and my eyes are heavy. _

_***_

Word of mouth carried the news of Ranger's return throughout the building. By the time I stopped in the break room he had done everything from swimming the Panama Canal to conquering Afghan warlords. I figured it was good for his mystique.

I'd hired three new guys while Ranger was away. Santos could never remember their names. He dubbed them Larry, Moe and Curly. Now we all thought of them that way. Moe and Curly - or maybe it was Larry and Moe -- sat at a table discussing this boss they'd never seen.

"They said he just showed up. Got in the building without setting off any alarms."

"Come on, no one's that good. This place is like Fort Knox."

"Santos says he's the scariest dude you've ever seen. Take you out with his eyes. Doesn't even have to make a move."

"Santos is full of shit. I bet I could take him. He's so tough, how come he hasn't shown up down here. Maybe he doesn't even exist. He's like one of those urban legends."

This had gone far enough. God, I hate new guys. Especially ones who haven't met Ranger.

"Larry! Moe! I have a job for you."

"Tank. Yes, sir. What is it, sir?" They were as eager to please as new puppies.

"I want you to take Ella -- you do know who Ella is, right?" They nodded in unison, a look of confusion on their faces. Take Ella and go to this address." I handed them a piece of paper containing Steph's street and apartment number. "There's a small furry animal living there in a glass aquarium." Their confusion before was nothing compared to what was showing up now. "His name is Rex. I want you to bring him here -- and he better be in one piece. Got it?"

"Yes, sir, Rex, got it, right away, sir."

"Ella is going to be packing several suitcases. Bring them back here too. Got it?"

"Yes, sir."

"And, boys? Ella better not catch you going through the Bombshell's underwear drawer or you'll have to answer to Ranger. Got it?"

I had to stifle a laugh. Even Mr. "I bet I could take him" had the grace to turn white as a sheet. Good.

***

On the break room bulletin board.

Notice: To all RangeMan Employees

With the return of Ricardo Carlos Manoso aka Ranger aka The Boss, all foodstuffs coming under the category of sweet carbohydrates are hereby banned from this building. Anyone found in possession of such contraband will have said foodstuffs confiscated and face consequences of a dire nature.

Posted for your own good by the TastyCake Enforcement Officer.

Lester Santos

***

Could this night get any worse? Seems like I've had a hangover ever since I met up with Steph and those RangeMan goons that night at Shorty's. And right now I'm looking at a minimum four hours of paperwork.

Someone yelled from across the squad room, "Hey, Morelli, some RangeMan guy brought a skip in a few minutes ago. Said Manoso showed up last night at Haywood. Alive and well. What do you know about that?"

Well, it answers my question. "Shit! Fuck! Damn!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Yo." I was knee deep in scheduling and answered my phone without even looking at it.

"Seventh Floor."

Ranger. Sounding more like himself. He disconnected.

I was trying to keep RangeMan on track despite the understandable distraction of Ranger's return. Steph and Bobby were on bedside detail. Ranger had been sleeping every time I checked in upstairs. Bobby told me he hadn't said much when he was awake, but from the urgency I'd just heard in his voice, it sounded like he was ready to talk -- now. Scheduling would have to wait.

I let myself in. Like before, Ranger stood in front of the window but this time he turned to me immediately. Physically he looked better. I was still worried about his eyes.

With no preliminaries he said, "Update."

"We're in good shape. Lost a couple small accounts while you were gone, they went out of business -- wasn't anything we did. Gained two mid-size so came out on top. Have three new hires for you to meet."

I stopped. Ranger was shaking his head. We weren't on the same page. Our ESP was out of practice.

"Tank, you run RangeMan as well as I do. I never worry about the business when I'm away. Update me on the cop."

That's why he was in a hurry. I knew Bobby had left the building. Steph, must be in the shower; I could hear the water running. He wanted her out of earshot.

"A non-issue."

He raised an eyebrow, "Explain."

"They had an ugly parting shortly after you left. Then, about a month ago, there was an incident at Shorty's."

"Incident?"

"He was drunk and," the word abusive came to mind, but instead I chose, "extremely rude. I was there."

I saw his mouth tighten and was glad I had softened the vocabulary.

"You handled it?"

"To the extent Steph would allow it," I responded. "I'd say he pretty much shot himself in the balls."

He visibly relaxed, but then he said, "I'm coming online tomorrow, Tank."

"You sure, Rangeman? Don't push it. Take it easy. Spend some time with Steph."

My last comment earned a look that said, "Mind your own business." To tell the truth, I did consider it my business.

"There are" this time he was the one searching for the right words, "irregularities regarding this mission. I need to look into them. As soon as possible."

He turned back to the window and was quiet but, I could tell he wasn't finished. Maybe the ESP was kicking in after all. I waited.

His voice took on a deadly edge when he said, "They knew I was coming, Tank. They were waiting for me."

"So what you're saying........."

He finished the sentence. "Is that my own people gave me up." He thought for a moment. "I'm curious. Did we get paid for this job?"

"We did. Wire transfers. $500,000 the day you left and another million one month later. You were supposed to be back by then."

"Was supposed to be a million total." He laughed bitterly, "Guess the extra five was a death benefit." After another pause he said, "I had a long time to think about it, Tank. I'm betting five minutes after I turned down a new contract everything changed. I became a loose end. My employer counted on the current target to tie that loose end up only they had their own agenda. The thing is -- probably it didn't matter whether I told them anything or not because all the information I'd been given was bogus."

"Steph was so sure you were alive. I made a phone call to your contact. He was ambiguous at best."

"I'll be down in the morning, Tank."

His voice was hard as steel. He'd lost nearly a year. I wouldn't want to be the man that made that happen. I decided angry was good. At least I'd take it for the moment.

***

"Is Tank here, I thought I heard him? I wanted to thank him for fetching Rex."

_**She's wearing my shirt. **_

"Just left."

"Oh."

_Bobby's gone. Tank just left. I'm alone with Batman. Holy Shit!_

_**Eyes, bright and blue. Damp curls to her shoulders. Skin, soft and luminous. Shirt, my shirt, hanging just above her knees. It's the picture that kept me alive for all those months. The image that brought me back here even after my self-imposed deadline told me I should stay away. She takes my breathe away. I can't take my eyes off of her. **_

_He can't take his eyes off of me. But, his eyes are serious and sad. Is he sorry he told me? I was only supposed to know he loved me if he was dead. Does he take it back if he's alive?_

_**How selfish am I? Selfish enough to make her mine when she doesn't know what kind of man I am? .................... Without a doubt. And there's no cop to stop me. **_

"Babe."

'_Babe,' it means anything -- everything. I don't want to know, not yet. Let me think you love me for one more day! _

" I promised Bobby I would change the bandage on your wrist. Come sit down. He told me what to do. I'll be careful."

_The words race out of my mouth to fill the silence. He lets me take his hand and lead him to the couch. I sit on the coffee table in front of him. Bobby has already laid out everything I need. I can't look at him. _

_**She cradles my right hand in her left and carefully cuts away the gauze. Her brow knits when the bandage falls away revealing the damaged flesh beneath. Ever so gently she cleans the wound, applies medicated ointment and lays on a sterile pad. Electrified by her touch, I tremble as she winds the fresh gauze to hold the pad in place. **_

"I'm sorry."

_**She looks at me and her eyes fill with tears. She thinks she's hurt me. Nothing could be further from the truth. I raise my hand to cup her cheek. She closes her eyes and turns her head. I feel a soft kiss at the base of my wrist. She whispers. **_

"I want to make it better."

"You make everything better," I tell her.

_**My fingers slide into her hair. I pull her to me. **_

_Ranger's lips brush against mine. _

"Why are you here with me?"

_Now, Stephanie, tell him now. _

I reach out and touch my fingers to his cheek. "Because, I love you with all my heart and have for a very long time."

_Ranger goes deadly still -- his face a blank. Oh, no. _

_**My words. My words exactly. **_

We both hear the door. It's Ella.

"Anyone for lunch?"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Hey, Tank. There's a horde of restless men out here demanding money."

Santos' subtle way of reminding me that it was payday. Guys on time off often came in to pick up their checks; others stopped by after their shifts. I could hear laughter and the buzz of conversation through my open door.

"Smart ass. Tell them to keep their pants on. Be out in a minute." I was still trying to finish the scheduling. Yesterday, one thing had led to another after my visit with Ranger and I was behind. I grabbed the payroll out of my safe. Before I could leave the office, I heard the hall go completely silent. When I went through the door I saw why.

Ranger stepped out of the elevator. He stopped dead. He wasn't expecting a crowd. I hadn't thought to tell him there might be one. He was dressed in his usual work clothes -- black cargos, a black collared shirt with sleeves rolled. The white bandage on his right wrist stood out in stark contrast. His features had a sharper than usual edge, a result of the weight he'd lost and he hadn't cut his hair. It was tied at his neck hanging long down his back. He looked dark and dangerous. Plus, it was Ranger, he'd be armed.

I didn't see who started it but someone began to clap -- a slow one-beat cadence that every man in the hall picked up. Momentary bewilderment flickered across Ranger's face before he shut it down. When the applause finally died away, he acknowledged the accolade with a nod and started down the hall shaking hands and greeting each man by name.

The three stooges stood across from me. Larry stared at Ranger in open-mouthed amazement.

"Well, boys," I said, "looks like you're going to meet the Boss." I couldn't resist throwing a jab at Moe. "Still think he's an urban legend?"

I joined Ranger. He greeted me with a cool stare as I fell in behind him but it felt right to have his back. We made our way down the hall finally coming to a stop in front of Larry, Curly and Moe. Damn, I couldn't remember their real names. I didn't even try. "These are our new guys," I told him, "Larry, Curly and Moe."

Ranger didn't laugh. He offered his hand to Larry and said, "Name?"

Larry stuttered, "Well....well.....well, they.....they call me......call me Larry, but....but you see, my.....my name really is Larry. Larry Johnson, sir."

Well, I'll be damned.

"Good to meet you, Larry," Ranger said. He moved on to Curly.

"And is your name really Curly?" Ranger humor.

Curly turned bright red. "No sir," he said. "Name's Miguel, Miguel Ruiz."

"Welcome, Miguel."

Moe anticipated Ranger. He stuck out his hand, locked eyes and said, "Stokely, Elliott Stokely." I noticed he omitted 'sir.' Ranger grasped the young man's hand, held his gaze and waited. I saw Elliott Stokely's eyes widen at the exact second he realized his hand was going to break if he didn't back down.

He hastened to make amends stammering, "It's...it's an honor to be working for you,.....Sir."

"Good to have you on board, Elliott," Ranger said, nodding and letting go. As we walked away, Ranger glanced at me and commented, "Moe thought he could take me."

I looked back. Elliott Stokely aka Moe was holding his hand and trying hard not to cry. "Not any more," I replied.

"He's a good man," Ranger allowed. "I like him."

We made our way to the Control Room. Ranger spoke briefly to the men on duty there and went directly to his office. I followed him, uninvited. He stopped in the doorway, looked around and then sat down at his desk. He might never have been away.

Without further hesitation he turned to his safe, dialed the combination and took out the same secure phone that I had used several weeks before. He flipped it open and hit the speed dial.

The call rang through. I heard one ring, two, three and then a click. A well-modulated, female voice announced, "Please do not leave messages at this number."

He flipped the phone closed to disconnect -- then immediately opened it and dialed again.

"I thought you weren't supposed to leave a message there," I foolishly volunteered.

"Then they shouldn't be so polite," Ranger growled.

He left a message anyway.

"You son of a bitch. Expect a visit. I'm keeping the extra five."

His immediate business accomplished, Ranger replaced the phone in the safe and swiveled his chair toward me. I was still standing at the door.

"Anything else you want to tell me?" he asked.

"Don't think so," I replied. "I've summarized all operations from the time you left." I nodded toward a neat pile of papers on his desk. "It's all there. You can review and let me know if you have any questions."

He never looked at the paperwork. Instead he fixed me with a hard stare, his eyes black and fathomless.

"You lied to me," he said.

For a minute I didn't know what he meant. By the time I figured out he was talking about Steph and his letter he had gotten up, said, "I'm offline," and left the floor.


	9. Chapter 9 & Epilogue

**Chapter 9**

"Crap!"

Ranger was back from downstairs. He hadn't opened the door yet, but the raging tingle down my spine told me he was out there. Was I ready for him?

Hair - curly, but not frightening. Check.

Little skirt. Check.

Heels. Check.

Cleavage - Hmm, it is what it is. Check.

Mascara - Three coats. Two for courage and one as a crying preventative. Not water-proof. Imagine the mess. Check.

I was as ready as I was ever going to be.

He was getting closer. Seemed like I was more in tune with him than ever before.

Well, more in tune except for that whole 'spill my guts on the floor, I love you with all my heart' fiasco yesterday. The scene kept playing over and over in my head like a bad movie reel. The only thing he'd said to me since was, "When did you read my letter?"

After that he shut down. Black eyes, blank face, no talking. It had been a long night.

Ranger walked in and dropped his keys on the sideboard. I don't think he was ready for me in all my 'Burg glory. He missed the tray. Wasn't much, but it was something.

"Stephanie."

Full name. Flat voice. Not good.

"Ranger."

"I thought you'd be gone."

Was he relieved? Or, disappointed? I couldn't tell. Scary.

He brushed by me and walked slowly toward the living room. I spun around to follow.

"Really," I said, "cause I don't scare easy, remember?" That got his attention. He stopped.

Okay, go for broke. "Besides, I want to know if you're going to carry out your plan."

He turned to look at me. His sojourn downstairs hadn't been long, but his eyes were weary, his mouth tight with pain. I hated baiting him, but I could feel him slipping away. God, I wanted to hold him. But I wanted a reaction more.

Cautious now he said, "My plan?"

"Yeah, you know. The one where you are going to make me yours forever."

He locked his eyes on mine and spit out, "That plan's no longer operative."

Called my bluff. Oh, shit.

He continued to hold me with his gaze, his eyes challenging, but haunted. His voice, sharply edged, cut through the space between us. "Knowing what you know about me -- the man I am, **you can't love me**." He emphasized each word.

"Is that so? You gave me advice once before on who I should love. That worked out real well." Nasty perhaps, but true. "I don't think you get to tell me who to love any more."

He turned away from me again shaking his head at my response like I was a dim witted child. The morning had taken its toll. He went for a chair in the living room, breathing hard as he eased himself down. He let his head fall back, eyes closed.

Inside I smiled. Trapped. Good for me. I knelt down at his feet and took both his hands in mine. He wasn't going anywhere.

Ever so softly I said, "Ranger." His eyes stayed shut. He didn't move. His hands lay motionless in mine. With my thumb, I traced small circles on one palm as I continued. "Nothing," I repeated, "nothing I read in your letter makes me love you less."

He jerked his hands away, his angry response exploding from him. "Then you didn't read it closely enough." I was surprised, but I refused to move. His voice turned flinty hard and when he opened his eyes hell's fire burned within them. "Everything that happened to me these past months was nothing more than I deserved. I've done that and worse -- far worse. I won't drag you into my pit."

Even softer than before I told him, "No need to drag me, I will follow willingly."

He thought I was crazy. I saw it in his face. Desperate to get away, he tried to get up, but he moved too fast. He exhaled sharply, his face creased in pain, he wrapped one arm across his chest holding his ribs. Still trapped.

Even angrier now, he cried. "Don't! Just let me go!"

"No." I stayed where I was.

He said, almost to himself, "I missed my deadline. I was dead. I never should have come back. If I had known........," his voice trailed off.

I waited until his breathing slowed. His eyes were open now, but staring straight ahead at nothing. I took his hand. He didn't stop me.

After a long time, he looked down at me and I said, "I knew who you were long before I read your letter."

He started to say something, but I touched my fingers to his lips to silence him.

"Still, I did what you said I should do, I asked the guys. Do you know what they told me?" A slight movement of his head told me, 'no he didn't know.'

"You're the man who's the very best at a job that's difficult and often ugly beyond words, but a job that someone has to do to keep the world safe.

"You're the man they most want to lead them not only because you bring them home safely, but because you do everything you can to make sure they sleep peacefully once they get back, even if it means you don't.

"You're the man who uses his resources and intelligence to give those same men a place to work where they can use their unusual skills in a positive way. The reception you got this morning." He looked surprised. "Oh, I heard about it, Bobby came up to tell me. That reception didn't come from fear."

He swallowed hard. He was listening.

"And then, there are the things you've done for me. I know you killed Abruzzi to protect me." He didn't deny it. "With Scrog," it was my turn to swallow hard, "you nearly died. You help me fly. You cushion my crashes when I don't. You're Batman. Always have been. Always will be.

"You see, the problem isn't that I know who you are. The problem is -- you don't know who you are."

A tear rolled down his cheek. As I raised up to kiss it away he pulled me onto his lap. Ribs be damned, he crushed me in his embrace. I heard him whisper, "I love you with all my heart and have for a very long time."

We sat quietly for a while. His hands moved gently over my back. After a moment he said, "You're so thin."

Still snuggled against his chest, I laughed. "I have a confession to make. I wanted you to come back so badly that I made a deal with my diet. I vowed to eat salad every day until you came home. I ate salad at Shorty's."

He pulled away from me. "Babe," he said, horror clearly written on his face, "even I don't eat salad at Shorty's!"

**Epilogue**

"Tank, here are the morning reports."

"There was a break-in downtown last, night, Tank."

"Hey, Tank, you have the new schedule up yet?"

I was five minutes late and the Control Room was already a zoo.

"Tank, Ranger was here looking for you."

"What?"

"Ranger was here. Said to tell you he was leaving and there were orders for you on your desk."

All the voices clamoring for my attention went to white noise. Ranger -- leaving. Orders. I couldn't breathe. It felt like a heavy caliber shot to the chest.

I went to my office and sank down in the chair. Sure enough a large brown envelope lay on the desk. 'Pierre' was written on the front. 'Pierre!' How much trouble was I in. It took me a minute or two before I could open it. Inside there was a letter from Ranger.

_**Dear Tank,**_

_**Did I scare you just a little? Don't worry. I'm coming back and you are not on your way to the Third World. I just couldn't resist. **_

_Great, Ranger humor. Except for the panic attack it had caused me, I guessed that was a good thing. _

_**I'm going to Washington to handle the unfinished business we discussed. Steph's not jumping up and down, but she knows I have to do this. She is a wonderful woman. But you already know that. If you hadn't stopped me, I would certainly be dead. As it is, because of you, I will have the opportunity to find out just how wonderful she is. **_

_**Thank you. I couldn't have a better partner or a more faithful friend. **_

_**I do expect you to be gone by the time I return. Take some time off. You certainly deserve it after the work you've done keeping the company together over the last year. RangeMan's resources are at your disposal. Enjoy yourself and when we both get back we can plan for the future together. Thanks to you it looks like I have one. **_

_**Ranger**_

***

He was almost invisible, his black clothes melding into the dark shadows surrounding the Georgetown townhouse. He kept silent watch fixing his eyes on a solitary light shining from a second story window.

He waited until I was right behind him before he said, "Good way to get yourself killed."

"Wasn't worried, you knew I was here."

"You're supposed to be on time off."

"Time off's overrated and, frequently boring. Thought this might be more interesting."

"Tank?"

"Yeah."

"Thank, you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you face to face."

"It's okay, Rangeman. I've got your back. I've always got your back.

**The End**


End file.
